Black Friday is a week from today. That means businesses will be competing aggressively for sales.
One of them – Toys R Us – has come up with an outside the usual box tactic for getting shoppers’ attention. That’s having children anchor its TRU News Network to describe the hot toys of the season. That simulated news is being run on television as commercials as well as through social media such as Facebook. The target audience is anyone who needs to know what kids really want as that special gift. They will get that information straight from the kids themselves.
The genius of the tactic is that it turns expectations upside down. The good news is that it doesn’t take rocket science to come up with your own out of the box approach.
That can be as simple as playing with traditional colors. Instead of green holiday trees for your business, you have black ones decorated with white ornaments. Another could be a public interest message not to overspend. The Federal Reserve reports that the average credit card debt for households is $7,150. That could attract more than just shoppers. The media could show up. There are endless possibilities for special events such as Santa Claus or Mrs. Claus working out with a personal trainer at your spa. In addition, you can always run a contest for the worst kind of promotion for the holiday season.
Marketing need not be expensive. A good contrarian idea well executed could cost you pennies per acquisition of new customers or more purchased by current ones.
Kate Sirignano, founder of Image Marketing Consultants, invites you to a complimentary consultation for marketing, partnerships, public relations, special events, and social media kate@imagemarketingconsultants.com, 203-404-4868.